Hello hello! We’ve been a bit behind writing this edition of our newsletter, but only because we’ve been busy spending lots of quality travel time with Shruti’s family.

Don’t be fooled by how cool and refreshed we look, we’ve spent the last 3 weeks in the hot humidity of Vietnam & Cambodia. Nate’s learning what it truly means to be living through a tropical Asian summer, with his in-laws, no less (!).

Strap in because this is going to be a long (but hopefully interesting) read.

Chapter 1: Ha Noi, Vietnam

We met Shruti’s parents (mama and papa) and brother, Ashwin in Ha Noi, the capital of Vietnam and stayed near the old quarter in Hoan Kiem.

We walked a lot and we ate a lot. Nate and Ashwin went from bun ca to banh mi to pho, rinse and repeat.

Our favourite bun ca spot was run by a couple just outside their home. At lunchtime, they transformed their garage into a row of small tables and chairs. When we went back for a third time, we curiously peeked at some steamed banana leaves they had in the corner (they weren’t on the menu). The man offered us some and they turned out to be delicious banh cuon.

We drank a lot of coffee. Cà phê nau, Cà phê sữa Cà phê muối, egg coffee, we tried it all. We spent several hours at HCafe, nestled between pedestal fans, chatting over strong cups.

Our big day trip from Ha Noi was to an area a few hours away called Halong Bay. We piled into a big tour bus, then a small ship to cruise along the islands of the bay.

Ashwin and Shruti kayaked through Luon Cave, while Nate and Shruti’s parents went on a bamboo boat.

We walked inside the cavernous, otherworldly Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave, and walked up to the top of TiTop Island to see a panoramic view of the floating islands of Halong Bay.

For our last night in Ha Noi we went out to dinner to Quán Ăn Ngon celebrate Mama’s birthday.

The next morning, Ashwin flew back to Canada while we continued on to Hoi An with Shruti’s parents.

Chapter 2: Hoi An, Vietnam

We stayed at a lovely homestay along the river surrounded by rice paddy fields, a few kms away from the Old Quarter.

Our days looked something like this –

Morning: Shruti’s parents usually woke up very early to walk around the area before it got too hot. We ate breakfast together in the verandah (always with a strong Vietnamese coffee). Thank you Ms. Luong for taking such good care of us! If you ever find yourself in Hoi An, let us know and we will share this homestay’s details with you.

Afternoon: We stayed cool indoors, avoiding the 36°C (97°F) temperatures outside. We read, we drew, we played cards.

Evening: We ventured outside – walking along the river, popping into the shops of Old Town, and exploring the lanes around town by cycles.

Six days flew by like this, and it was time to leave for our third city in two weeks: Saigon!

Chapter 3: Saigon, Vietnam

We landed in Ho Chi Minh City, known locally as Saigon, and mama was immediately reminded of Kolkata, where she grew up.

Shruti’s folks set off on several day trips from here – first to the Củ Chi tunnels to learn how the guerrilla soldiers lived & worked in deep tunnels underground.

On their second day trip, Shruti joined them to go to the Mekong Delta. A day filled with fresh fruits, floating bamboo boats, marshlands, snake wine, and local delicacies. Here’s a little excerpt from Shruti’s travel journal:

Somewhere along the way, Shruti twisted her ankle (but she’s fine now!)

Chapter 4: Siem Reap, Cambodia

We landed in Siem Reap – the fourth and final city of our family trip. We immediately felt the difference between here and Saigon. The roads were wider, the sun shone hotter and brighter, and everything felt more geared towards the tourism industry.

We stayed slightly outside the Old Quarter in a lush green oasis – the garden was overflowing with palm trees and orchids, which are notoriously difficult to take care of.

Most days we set out on early morning walks to beat the heat, came home to cook our meals, swam in the pool and set out again in the evenings (either walking, or by tuktuk) to explore the old quarter.

For those of you who know Nate, he rarely gets into the water, but here he swam almost everyday and even beat Shruti in a lap race(!)

Our big day trip (and the main reason we came to Siem Reap) was to Angkor Wat – a UNESCO world heritage site that is full of rich history.

We woke up at 3:45am to see the sun rise over the main temple ground. Although it was a cloudy day (it’s rainy season here), we saw the colours shift in the sky to slowly reveal this spectacular silhouette of the main temple. Photos don’t do this moment justice, so Shruti tried to capture it in a painting:

We spent the morning following our tour guide Roma who took us through the different dynasties of the Khmer people.

The Angkor Wat (City of Temples) compound was first built in the 12th century. Over time, the city saw war, and was abandoned, eventually overgrown with trees. The French rediscovered and started restoring the architecture in the 19th century.

Shruti and her parents were amazed by the depictions of Hindu mythology that they grew up, so familiar in their narrative, yet so different in the local art form.

Even more amazing is how Buddhist monks have lived in the main temple and taken care of this art for almost 1000 years, regardless of the fact that it depicts another religion.

Our guide talked a lot about King Jayavarman VII, the first Khmer king devoted to Buddhism. He was loved by his people, believed in celebrating different religions and built these temples with a mix of Buddhist and Hindu art forms.

We explored the grounds, marveling at the stone engravings, and the way nature and the ruins now coexist, almost 1,000 years later.

Some of our key takeaways of Vietnam and Cambodia

• June is a very very hot time to be here. Make sure you drink lots of water! In Ha Noi, we saw local residents drinking what looked like beer, but it was actually copious amounts of iced green tea. Both work wonders in this heat.

• The food and coffee have been absolutely delicious everywhere. Shruti and mama may have indulged in too many fruits, but no complaints here.

• Everyone has been so kind and welcoming. In Vietnam on several occasions, children came up to us asking if they could practise their English talking to us. People are very keen to introduce us to their culture and share their food with us, we’ve been very grateful for everyone’s kind hospitality.

And that’s that! Shruti’s parents are headed back home, while we head off to another adventure – a remote cabin in the rice terraces of Jatiluwih, Bali.

Bonus content!
Some candid moments caught on camera: